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Nathan Maust

Biography

Nathan Maust dreamed of being a physician in elementary school, but the prospect of years of training and huge loans pushed him to examine other fields. He entered college with thoughts of pursuing a career in investment banking, but a freshman year of business classes and relatively little service left him disinterested and unfulfilled. He switched to pre-med, concluding that 7 to 10 more years of education in a field he loves "is an investment that will reap personal dividends far greater than the financial rewards of banking." He cites the personal fulfillment of helping people and the lifelong intellectual challenge as two reasons why medicine is the perfect career.

One summer as a community health/medical volunteer in Kenya gave Nathan insight into two areas he says will shape his career-the complexities of medicine and the health care issues facing the medically underserved. He learned that health outcomes have as much to do with what is outside the hospital walls-the social, economic, and religious framework surrounding the patient-as what is done inside. This lesson was reinforced in his tutoring internship with Work First (a faith-based organization that helps families transition off welfare), where he saw a multitude of barriers to healthy life faced by children in the U.S.

Tutoring is only part of what Nathan did with Work First. One semester, Nathan worked with two teenage boys who were in trouble daily. Each came from a single-parent household where financial, social, and other resources were lacking. Nathan became a surrogate big brother and father. He met bi-weekly with teachers so that he could provide a doctor with the information needed to properly diagnose and treat one of the boys, who had ADHD. And Nathan committed to work with the family the following semester, even though he will not receive academic credit for it.

Nathan was an active member of the Dance Marathon, a student organization that works throughout the year to raise money for programs, families, and patients at the North Carolina Children's Hospital. Nathan's responsibility was to establish relationships with doctors and nurses and to create ways for student volunteers to be involved.

Years from now, Nathan sees himself meeting the diverse needs of patients in an urban academic medical center, as well as pursuing international service though an organization like Doctors Without Borders. He also hopes to teach and carry out research.

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